Alstom renews electrostatic precipitators at bioenergy in Hungary

By Alstom | December 11, 2014

Thermal Power Service division of Alstom Hungary Ltd. has successfully accomplished its first air quality project. Ordered by Pannon Power Plant Ltd. which is the part of Dalkia Energy group, Alstom supplied and put in operation two new electrostatic precipitators in one of the biomass-fired blocks of Pécs Power Plant. The €600.000 ($742,638) development further decreased the dust emission of the wood chip fired block in Pécs Power Plant, thus it already meets the strict emission standards of the EU set for 2016. The development implemented by Alstom makes maintenance and operating costs of dust filter units lower, while increases efficiency of the power plant.

The Pécs Power Plant of Pannonpower which is the part of Dalkia Energy Group, is the largest biomass-fired power plant in Hungary. Operated by Pannon Power Plant Ltd. the facility has 2 biomass power plant blocks and 2 natural-gas auxiliary boilers. Currently the 2 biomass blocks are in operation; one of them with wood- and agricultural byproduct based chips, the other with baled agricultural fuel. The power plant provides entirely green energy for 31.000 households and 450 public institutions in Pécs.

With the modernization of the furnace filters in the wood chips fired biomass boiler the power plant to meets the stricter emission standards coming into force in 2016. Thanks to the new equipment the emitted solid substance is reduced to a minimal level.

“This project is a valuable reference for Alstom Hungary Ltd., as it is our first air quality project accomplished in Hungary,” said Csaba Kiss, managing director for power service at Alstom Hungary. “This technology can be used in other power plants fueled by fossil fuels, as well as in cement factories,” he added.

Design and execution of the project has been done by a multinational team, including Hungarian, German and Polish experts. By involving 30 engineers and experts, Alstom installed the electrostatic precipitators in only 3 weeks. During the works overall 67 metric tons of components, including electrode plates, knocking units and dust separator equipment have been installed.

Testing of the equipment has been successful, and the block operates seamlessly since Sept. 6. With the help of the newly installed precipitators, filtering of particles smaller than 0.1 micrometers – dust, fumes – has been made possible.

In 2014 COGEN Europe, the Brussels based professional organization for cogeneration also named the biomass-fueled power plant of Pannonpower in Pécs as the best on the continent in the category market development for its dynamic development.

According to the newly accepted power efficiency strategy of the European Union, member states have been obliged to make sure that 27 percent of all the produced electricity is coming from renewable sources, while emission should be decreased by 40 percent.